30 Days of Makorra
by FeistyDreams -CRYSTALOKAMINO
Summary: 30 day writing challenge using Makorra to fill my prompts. Day Twelve, Mist: Mako wasn't sure where exactly Korra was taking him, but when they got there, he didn't regret being dragged around
1. Everyday Magic

_**Author's Note**: I've decided to attempt a 30 day writing challenge. For the next month, I'll be writing Makorra everyday. Hopefully. Check my Tumblr (FeistyFanfics) for my list of prompts that I'll be drawing from._

Hope you enjoy!

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**Day One :: Everyday Magic**  
False dawn. That time in the far-too-early morning where the sky turned from darkness to faint grey light, the sun not yet peeking over the horizon. Korra hated morning enough before having a baby. She hated it even more now. The screams of her daughter would not be quelled while lying in bed, no matter what she tried. Mako looked over his shoulder at the two, a concerned frown on his face. "What's wrong?"

"I don't think she's hungry," Korra grumped, slipping her shirt back over her shoulder. Despite the little girl's refusal to eat, the screams became louder still. Glaring down at the child, Korra wanted badly to be angry at her, but all she could muster up was annoyance at being awake at that ungodly hour. With a heavy sigh, Korra slipped out of bed with the flailing bundle in her arms. She walked out of the room she shared with her husband to the as-of-yet unused nursery.

Changing diapers wasn't nearly as horrifying an experience as she had expected, and it wasn't even her least favorite part of parenting. No, her least favorite part was what she was going through at that moment. Being screamed at for no apparent reason at a time when she was usually dead to the world asleep, that was the part she hated. Everything else was just fine, even being screamed at for no apparent reason during the day, when she felt more human.

Freshly changed, the screams subsided, though the girl still gave her mother a sad face. "You're awake, aren't you?" No response, not that Korra had expected one. "There is absolutely no chance of me going back to sleep, is there?" The girl let out a short cry, a fierce frown making her look on the verge of wailing once more. "All right, all right," holding the baby close to her chest, Korra sighed and took out a mat with hanging toys that Pema had made for her. Sliding the child under the arches, she reached out and shook a rattling toy. The sound caught the girl's attention, and she stared at it for what seemed forever before reaching out and smacking it. Amused by what happened, she flailed clumsily and hit it again and again.

Korra watched in amazement at the first time her daughter truly interacted with the toys. Part of her wanted to go get Mako, but part of her didn't want to risk ruining the moment. Leaning forward, she smiled down at the girl and whispered her name. "Are you having fun?"  
She stopped playing for a moment, and Korra thought she had ruined it. "Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to, please keep playing," she pleaded with the child, reaching out and touching the rattle again.

This time, the girl didn't play with it. Instead, she turned her head to follow the hand that had gone across her line of vision. Seeing her mother's face staring at her, she gave a huge smile and a squeal of happiness, her arms and legs reaching out as though to try to grab Korra. Stunned, Korra stared at the girl. Finally over the shock, she reached out and lightly tickled her, laughing happily, "That's right! I'm your mommy, and you love your mommy, don't you?" The words seemed a little strange coming out of her mouth, but she never once stopped to even think about it. Picking up the girl, she cuddled her close, kissing her cheek and laughing.

The girl seemed to favor Mako most of the time, and Korra had never thought that she'd be the one to receive the first real smile. Suddenly, getting up so early in the morning didn't matter anymore, such was the magic the infant's happiness infected her with.


	2. Patience

Patience was never her strong suit. When Korra first found out she was pregnant, she was ecstatic. It had taken more months than she had expected, and she was beginning to get frustrated. It didn't matter to her that Katara had told her many times when she was younger, that Pema had backed up all those words of wisdom, that it might take a few tries before succeeding. She wanted it to happen right away, and she couldn't understand why it wouldn't, even though she knew from her healing classes.

Her enthusiasm didn't last long, however.

When the morning sickness first kicked in, she was less than amused. The ginger tea kept the worst of it at bay, but she still spent her days feeling under the weather. It was just as well that Mako was used to cooking, because there was no way she would have been able to. She couldn't even be in the same room when food was on the stove, the smell made her stomach churn. It felt like forever until those days were over, and she entered what the healers called the honeymoon period.

She wanted to slap whoever called it that.

There was nothing nice about it to her. It didn't help that no one seemed willing to let her do things her way. Mako would constantly hover around her when she tried to exercise, especially now that her stomach was a little softer than it used to be. No one that didn't know her would be able to tell there was a little one growing inside of her, but those closest could tell she carried herself differently, and that the tone of her abdominal muscles was different. Thanks to that change, everyone began doting on her and treating her as though she was helpless.

It was during this period that she was ready for pregnancy to be done with. She knew the ramifications of having the baby early, and that wasn't what she wanted. No, what she wanted was for time to speed up, rather than dragging so slow. It was the longest five months of her life, and still another four to go. She was done with it. Done with the soreness, done with the fatigue, done with being treated like she had some kind of handicap, done with not being able to do everything she wanted, she was done with it all.

She had no idea what she was getting herself into when she and Mako had decided they were ready to start a family. Part of her longed for the days when things weren't at peace, when she couldn't afford to be out of commission for months. She missed knocking heads together and blowing off steam. Now, she wasn't allowed to even spar. No one would go against her, not even without bending. It drove her crazy.

So, she drove Mako crazy, however she could. She had to amuse herself in some way. It started out when she disappeared for a few hours to get some time alone, away from watchful eyes, to do some exercise at long last. When she returned, he was wild with worry and wouldn't let her out of his sight for over a week. She could do without the mother hen-ing from him, but if he was going to have such strong reactions, she might as well take advantage.

That didn't last long.

With just two months to go, she no longer had the energy to mess with him. Her growing stomach threw her balance off, and she didn't feel comfortable doing the exercise that had kept her occupied in all the months prior. All of her muscles were sore, and she wanted nothing more than to soak in a hot tub, but she had been warned against that. Everything she wanted to do, it seemed there was a reason she couldn't. It may have only been months, but it felt like it had been an eternity of being told "No."

Finally, she was within the range of time she could have the child and not have concerns. When she had muttered something about using her water-bending to get things rolling, the response had her jumping back from its force. Pema understood her sentiment, but no one wanted her to try, no one wanted things rushed. When a couple of weeks had passed by the date she was supposed to have the child, she was cursing them all and herself for listening to them.

The first twinges of pain brought forth the excitement she had felt in the beginning. It was happening, she realized, it was finally happening. Reaching across the bed, she had punched her husband's shoulder, grinning at him in the dark when he rolled over. She told him it was starting and he leapt out of bed.

What she forgot, of course, was how long that part would take. The sun was almost setting on the next day when Pema came with the healers to deliver the baby. The long day of gradually increasing pain wore Korra's nerves thin, and she snapped at the smallest things. Mako had decided to just keep his mouth shut, rather than risk starting a fight. If she asked for something, he brought it, if her water ran out, he refilled it, if she looked hot, he wiped her face with a cool cloth and offered her ice, and he did it all with his lips pressed tightly closed.

Knowing what to expect and actually experiencing it were two completely different things. After an hour of pushing when she was told and trying to calm her breathing in between, she was completely done with it. At that point, she was convinced that she would never have another kid, even though she and Mako had discussed having two or three. She couldn't do it, not again.

"It's a girl!" one of the healers exclaimed, holding the wailing child in her arms and holding the girl up for the new parents to see.

It startled Korra when the girl was placed on her stomach, and she stared down at the tiny child with wonder. Though she had been taught much about childbirth in her healing classes, she had never actually been part of one before. Somehow, she completely overlooked the fact that the girl was far from clean right then. The only thing that mattered were the blue eyes gazing up at her in a brief moment of focus before the girl rubbed her face against her mother's stomach and closed her eyes. Mako came over and placed a nervous hand on her tiny back, looking down at his daughter with equal parts astonishment and adoration.

Weakly covering his hand with her own, Korra smiled up at him, oblivious to the bustling of the healers around them. "I guess I finally understand why patience is a good thing."

Chuckling, Mako nodded and leaned down to kiss her cheek, "Yeah. You did a great job, Korra. She's perfect."

"She is, isn't she?" she laughed, leaning her head towards him. "I love you, Mako."

"I love you, too."


	3. Separation

Mako switched off the radio with a sigh, turning back to the stove as he shook his head. Another day passed, another day with no news. He hoped to hear something of Korra's travels over the radio, but it had been over a week since the last report about the Avatar. Nothing even that sounded like her passing through an area. There were no reports of damage in her wake, no reports of criminals suddenly being caught, no sudden changes in an area's well-being. Nothing. He couldn't help but to be anxious when she didn't call and he couldn't find out what she was up to. He knew to trust her, that she wouldn't put herself in danger, and that if she was, she would find a way to contact him. Logic had little bearing on emotions, however, and as the days passed, his anxiety grew.

He hated these times that they were separated from one another. Such was the life of dating the Avatar, however. It was the one strain on their relationship, and the reason he hadn't yet asked her to marry him, even after five years of dating. She traveled to where she was needed and he stayed behind where his job was. He couldn't very well give it up to travel with her. They would make ends meet on their journey, of course, as she did on her own. The problem was that they wouldn't build a future like that. So, he stayed in Republic City, earning money so that when they were able to settle, they would have a solid foundation.

Another night of eating dinner alone. It was odd, having no one there. Bolin had his own life, one he had recently started sharing with a wife just a few months back. He didn't want to be a bother on them, though his sweetheart of a sister-in-law often mentioned he was welcome over whenever. It felt like intruding, for one, and for another, it was a reminder of what he was missing out on with Korra. Not that he wanted anyone else, he just wished things could calm down for a time. He never really had such thoughts when she was home, but when he was on his own, it was difficult not to long for something different.

The door was slammed open, a feat he had become accustomed to, but which always made him jump. It was by sheer dumb luck that he had just set down his bowl, saving him from hot soup all over his lap. Looking over his shoulder awestruck, he blinked as the subject of his thoughts shut the door roughly behind her while leaning over to peel off her boots. "I am starving, tell me there's enough dinner for two." Korra's casual demeanor, as though she hadn't been gone and off the grid for so long, kept him in his state of shock. That didn't seem to matter, however, as she ignored him anyways and walked straight over to the stove, sniffing at the large pot. "This smells amazing," she stated with sincerity. Fishing out a bowl, she poured herself some and took a seat beside Mako, all but sitting on his lap with how close she was.

Several minutes passed in silence, and Mako slowly returned to his meal, watching his girlfriend from the corner of his eye, checking her for any sign of injury and waiting for her to say something about her sudden return. The silence continued as she finished her food and brought her bowl to the sink, adding to the concern he had felt before she had walked in the door. It was unlike her to be quiet for so long, especially after she had been away for a time. He walked up behind her with his bowl, carefully reaching around her to rinse his dish and hold her in his arms at the same time. She leaned back against him ever-so-slightly. It wasn't much, but it was enough that he noticed. Turning off the water, he dried his hands off and settled them on her waist.

He was caught off-guard once more when she spun around swiftly. Her arms wrapped tightly across his shoulders and she yanked him down for a fierce kiss, pulling him back as she hopped up onto the edge of sink. She paid no attention to the water seeping into her pants, only caring about the warm body pressing tightly against her, the hot mouth against hers, and the mad struggle to remove clothes from one another as swiftly as possible.

Hours later, spent and exhausted, having taken brief naps in between reacquainting themselves with each other's bodies, Mako finally turned to Korra and asked her what had been on his mind when she first got back. "What happened while you were gone? You suddenly disappeared, didn't call, didn't pop up anywhere... I was worried."

She smiled sadly and gave a little shrug. "Things went a bit badly, I had to disappear. It was easier to just stay off the grid and hurry back. I'll tell you about it later, right now I just want to enjoy being home."

Nodding in acceptance, he leaned in for a soft kiss. "All right. I missed you, you know."

"I know," she chuckled as he made a face, her response not being the one he wanted. In a more tender tone of voice, she added, "I missed you, too. I hate being separated from you for so long."

"Me too."

Not wanting to dwell any longer on the sadness of separation, they both rolled towards one another at the same time, continuing their primal reminder of the good times they always had together.


	4. Nature's Fury

_**Author's Note: **__Ugh, not my best by far, but at least I got it done before the cut-off time. Day 4 and I'm already feeling a bit worn out from trying to write every day. Hope it's like exercise… hard at first to commit to, then suddenly becomes easier and hard to live without._

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Everyone knew that the Avatar's power was great, but few ever saw it. Hurting those that the Avatar loved was a good way to draw that power out, however, as the men backing away from Mako were learning. Just stopping their attack wasn't enough to get Korra to stop, neither was begging her forgiveness. She was too far gone into the Avatar state, having lost control of herself and her emotions. Mako lay in a bloody heap, unmoving, and that was all she had to see to not want to even try to regain control.

Wind whipped around them at high speeds, lightning piercing through the tornado that engulfed them. The walls closed in tighter as Korra advanced on the group, rocks lifting into the winds as rain began to fall. It was the worst of nature, when it was a force so powerful that the only thing you could hope to do would be to get out of its way, and it had them trapped. They weren't sure what to do, where to go. The wind closed in from behind and Korra from in front, and approaching either seemed like a terrible idea. Frozen in fear, they cowered from the approach, staying still, not knowing what they could possibly do to escape.

Korra was grabbed from behind, pulled back into a hug, enveloped by strong arms she was familiar with. It was the only thing that got through to her, the glow in her eyes fading and the winds dying down. The rocks and debris carried in the winds fell all at once, kicking up a cloud of dust that enveloped them all. When the dust cleared, they could see that Korra had turned in Mako's arms, that each of them rested a hand on the other's cheek. One of Korra's hands was covered with water and it traveled over her boyfriend's chest, slowly healing the wounds spread out over his body. Only so much could be done in one session, but as she did her work, he no longer looked about ready to collapse.

With the calm following Korra's fury, the men took their chance to flee. There was no reason to stay and risk her attention returning to them. They had experienced more of the power of the elements than they had ever wanted to, and being exposed to that kind of energy was almost enough to turn them off of bending forever. At the very least, they would think twice about using it for the wrong reasons, having experienced the fear they were used to causing, and all at the hands of one person with a connection to nature that they could never hope to come close to understanding.


	5. Summer Haze

It was her first summer outside of the South Pole, and Korra was not handling it with grace. The constant buzz of insects, the humidity, the shimmer that rose off the asphalt nearly blinding her, all of it was the source of her sour mood. Laying on the beach at Air Temple Island, she wore the bathing suit Asami had picked out for her after she swam in her underwraps, limbs spread out to allow air to hit the most surface area. She had just come out of the water after a long swim, and she was contemplating spending the rest of the day in there.

"Korra! Korra, where are you?" Mako's voice barely pierced through the heavy air, and Korra couldn't be bothered to muster up the energy to respond. He would find her soon enough, she knew, and she could wait until then. Every now and again she could hear his voice, it grew louder with each call until finally he rounded a corner on the path and saw her out on the beach. "There you are! I've been looking all over for you. I thought you wanted to train today?"

"Too hot," she mumbled, eyes never opening to look over at him.

He frowned down at her, standing in the way of the sun so that a long shadow cast over her. "You don't complain about heat when fire-bending, why is the weather so bad?" Grumbling, she glared up at him, her expression clearly stating that she thought him an idiot for not understanding. After meeting her angry gaze for several long moments, Mako finally gave in and slumped his shoulders. "All right. What am I missing?"

Making a face at his exasperated tone, she finally sat up, cupping her hand over her brow like a visor, "I'm from the South Pole, city boy. Your winter is my summer. Fire-bending is heat in spurts, it's dry, and it's over when you're done and you can cool off. This heat is, it's, ugh, it's _oppressive._How do you do it?"

"It's not all that bad," he shrugged, expression softening as he saw where she was coming from.

"Whatever." Standing up reluctantly, she poked him in the chest, "Why don't we swim instead of train today, hmm? It's still a work out, but at least it's cool in the water."

Mako rubbed the back of his head, glancing out at the water, "I didn't bring my bathing suit. And besides, you're going to have to get used to it sooner or la-_!_"

Drenching the both of them with water-bending, Korra grinned triumphantly, "Now it doesn't matter, you're wet anyways. C'mon!" she laughed, dashing into the water and diving under a wave.

Defeated by her once more, Mako sighed and shook his head. He peeled off his wet clothes until he was just in his boxers and followed her into the water before she could yell at him. They laughed as they splashed one another, playing in the surf until the sky was painted in vivid oranges and reds, the sun disappearing on the horizon. As they swam back onto shore, Korra closed the distance between the two of them and caught Mako before he got too far.

Circling her arms around his neck, she pressed a wet kiss against his lips. He pulled her in tight, floating back with her in his arms, happily returning the kiss. "Thanks for cooling off with me, Mako," she murmured, lips grazing his with every syllable.

Chuckling, Mako yanked her close for another kiss, their bodies pressing together under the surface of the water. Foreheads pressed together, he slid his hands along her arms, grabbing hold of her fingers and bringing them to his lips. "It's not like you gave me a choice," he teased her, amusement dancing in his eyes.

"Don't act like you didn't enjoy yourself," she jabbed right back, grinning wickedly. They lazily drifted back to shore, and as Mako slipped back into his clothes, Korra watched him with hands folded on her hips. "I guess the summers here aren't so bad." He looked over at her curiously, wondering what changed her mind. She shrugged and held out her hands, a smirk turning up a corner of her mouth. "At least there is a way to have fun while keeping cool."

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_**Author's Note:** Hey, look... Only took 5 days to actually have some interaction between the two... I'm a terrible person... u_u_


	6. Love

It wasn't unusual for Mako to treat Korra to a nice dinner and relaxing evening when she had to leave on Avatar duties. Knowing they wouldn't see each other for days, weeks, or even months made them want to keep their last moments together calm before she took off, so that way they would have no bad memories to worsen the distance. That night, however, Mako had been acting strange the whole time, and it was beginning to worry Korra.

He was preoccupied, distant, and it was making the night a strain on her instead of the good time it was supposed to be. At the last minute, Mako had changed their plans, and instead of taking her out to eat, he brought her home after a walk in the park and cooked her dinner. Not that she was complaining about that, his cooking was delicious. His behavior during it all was strange, though. Mako was a creature of habit, and over time, she had come to rely on that about him, especially once she started to travel so much. Knowing what to expect when she returned home was always a comfort.

Now, however, she was beginning to have misgivings about leaving.

Annoyed with the awkward silence, every attempt at conversation being met with non-committal answers, Korra sighed and grabbed her empty plate. Mako reached out and grabbed her hand, stopping her from leaving. Half-risen from her chair, she paused and frowned over at him. The serious look in his eyes kept her from making a comment, and instead she slowly sank back into her chair. "Mako? What is it? You've been acting strange all night."

"Sorry. Sorry, it's just, I don't really know how to do this."

He looked away, a frown on his face as he sank back into thought. Tensing, Korra tried not to shake as she felt she knew what he was going to say. She pulled her hand away and he looked up sharply, confusion clouding his expression. "You're breaking up with me, aren't you?" she refused to meet his gaze, staring down at the floor instead.

"What, no, I-," he watched in bewilderment as she stood up to leave.

She stormed towards the door, but arms enveloping her from behind kept her from retreating. "Mako, let me go, I'm-."

"I want you to marry me."

The fumbling words made her freeze. She barely noticed how awkward his proposal was, just what it was. Mouth agape, her body went just about limp in his arms. He loosened his hold, turning her around so that he could look at her face. His cheeks were tinged pink with a faint blush, and he glanced away once more as he tried to find the right words. "I didn't mean to make you think that, breaking up with you is the last thing I want to do. I love you, Korra. And I promise you, I'll always be here when you come back. Please, marry me?"

Swallowing thickly against the lump that had formed in her throat, Korra stared up at him with wide, searching eyes. As they stared at one another, Mako suddenly glanced down at his chest, releasing her and patting down his coat. Confused, she watched him curiously, and he pulled out a small box and popped it open. "I, uh, I know you're not much for jewelry, but, well, there's been this trend picking up in the city, to give your girlfriend a ring when you ask her to marry you, and, well, I, uh, here."

The ring was simple enough, a silver-colored metal band that she couldn't say if it was in fact just silver or something else, and two inlaid gemstones set side-by-side, one red, one blue. He was right, she wasn't one for jewelry, and she couldn't even identify the stones, let alone the metal, but what she did know was that it was more than she had ever expected, and that she would wear it proudly. "Mako, I, I don't know what to say."

"'Yes' would be nice," he replied with a nervous laugh.

Smiling, she looked up at him and nodded, "Yes." Letting out a loud laugh as the shock began to melt away and happiness settled in, she grinned and nodded again, "Of course!" She settled a hand on the back of his head and pulled him down for a kiss. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her close, and he shut the box in his hand so that the ring wouldn't fall out. He could put it on her finger later. For now, he was intent on just enjoying the fact that she had accepted, and her growing enthusiasm as she pressed impossibly tighter against him.


	7. Breakfast

Mako stepped into the kitchen, bleary-eyed and tired, rubbing a hand across his face as he tried to wake himself up. It was another long night, just like every night the past couple of weeks had been. He paused just over the threshold, staring in disbelief. Standing in front of the stove was Korra, pan and spatula in hand. She looked over her shoulder at him, for a moment, he could smell the breakfast cooking.

It was over as quick as it started, however. She vanished before his eyes, and he sat down right where he was. His heart and mind played cruel tricks on him, making him believe she was right there, when she never would be again. Burying his face in his hands, he worked hard to contain himself. Only at night, when he crawled into an empty bed, did he allow himself tears.

Choking back a sob, he was startled when a hand landed on his shoulder. He turned quickly, looking with wide-eyes at the one behind him. His seven year old daughter stared back calmly, sadness and worry clear in her amber gaze. "Daddy? Are you okay?"

"I'm, I'm all right. Sorry. Come here," he twisted and reached an arm around her waist, pulling her close. For her part, she just wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head under his chin, letting him hug her tightly without complaint. Several moments passed before he regained his composure, and smoothing her hair back, he pulled away with a strained smile, "Come on. Let's make breakfast."

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_**Author's Note:** Sorry for this being a day late, had a rough day yesterday. I'm going to write a second, hopefully happier, one today to catch up. Inspired by the song "Toki wo Kizamu Uta" by Lia, the opening theme to Clannad ~After Story._


	8. Umbrella

The rain came on sudden. Mako had been walking home when the sky opened up with a loud crack of thunder and a flash of lightning. Running under an awning, he wrapped his arms around his chest and gazed up at the dark sky. It was nighttime, late, and he sighed with the realization that he was still some distance away from home. He had a long, cold, wet walk ahead of him, and he was not looking forward to it.

"Doesn't look like it's going to get better anytime soon," he mumbled to himself. "I guess I better get going." Pushing off the wall of the building, he stepped out into the downpour with no small amount of dread. He wished, not for the first time, that he could heat his skin with some fire-bending, but so far as he had noticed, it simply didn't work that way.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been trudging through the rain, his gaze downcast for most of the walk. Suddenly, it stopped, or so it seemed. He no longer felt the rain hitting his skin, but he could still hear it falling. Frowning, he looked up, trying to figure out what was going on. It looked as though he was standing in a bubble, and he stared slack-jawed until a voice broke through the lonely silence. "I thought you'd be out here. Leave it to you to not have the sense to just stop by your brother's place in weather like this."

Korra stood there, arms outstretched as she held the curtain of water over him, a knowing grin on her face. She was certainly a sight for sore eyes and he returned the grin with a wry look of his own, "You know, the thought honestly never even occured to me."

"That's because I'm the brains of the outfit," she said with a laugh, closing the distance between them, "and the brawn."

Laughing, he shook his head at her cockiness, "Right. Of course you are."

"You know it!" she dropped the hold over the rain, water splashing down on them suddenly, and she yanked him close for a kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close, reveling in the warmth her body radiated. They stayed like that for some time, ignoring the cold, just enjoying one another. With a laugh, Korra pulled away and slapped his shoulder playfully, "Come on. Let's get home." Restoring the umbrella of water, she took a few steps forward, looking back over her shoulder at him.

He smiled after her, holding out his hand and lighting a small flame, "Right." Suddenly, the walk wasn't cold anymore, and it wasn't wet, and it certainly was no longer lonely. It didn't matter how far away home was as they walked back side-by-side, keep one another warm and dry.


	9. Exploration

"How'd you get this one?" Korra asked Mako, trailing a finger down a long, thin scar on his chest. They lay together on his bed, their clothes long forgotten and somewhere on the floor.

Looking down to the white line she traced, he paused for a moment as he tried to recall where that specific mark came from, "Ah. Back when I worked for the Triple Threats. One of the lieutenants was in a sour mood and insisted I had looked at him funny, managed to slash me with a blade before he was stopped."

Korra grunted, frowning at the story, "Why didn't you just stop him yourself?"

"I didn't want to start any trouble unless it was necessary. It was a rough time, and I couldn't take the chance."

It was difficult for her to understand that concept, always wanting to take out any threat right away. She couldn't fathom a reason not to fight back, but she had never been in situations like those Mako had grown up with.

Shivering when a rough finger grazed her stomach, she looked down at his hand, then back to him with a curious expression. "My turn," he answered the unspoken question, "how did you get this?"

She grinned, covering his hand with her own, "Early earth-bending practice. I didn't do a great job of dodging a bunch of rocks flung at me. Most just left bruises, but one didn't make full impact, just left a cut on my stomach."

"I see," he murmured, running his hands along her. She laid back and let him have his turn exploring her, smiling as he felt every scar that covered her body. They both had a rather large collection, and learning the stories behind each one would teach them more about one another than all the conversations in the world.


	10. Picking Up the Pieces

**WARNING: CHARACTER DEATH**

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Standing off to the side, Korra looked over at Mako sadly, unsure of what to do for him, if there even was anything. He knelt unmoving in front of the grave marker, staring down at the name written there. No one ever saw it coming, it was an accident during a pro-bending match. She knew Mako would never forgive himself for not being there to protect his younger brother, even though there was no reason to feel guilt over what had happened.

She took a few tentative steps forward, and when he didn't lash out at her, demanding her to leave him alone has he had since he'd gotten the news, she cleared the rest of the distance and took a knee beside him. Reaching out, she wrapped her arm across his shoulders and let it rest there, not pulling him close, but letting him know she was there for him. It wasn't going to be easy to get through this, she knew. It wasn't the kind of thing that could be easy. He was broken. His last family member, the brother he had sworn to protect no matter what, was gone forever. He wasn't alone, but it wasn't the same, and she couldn't begin to understand what he was feeling. All she could do was to be there for him, no matter what, through it all.

They sat there in front of Bolin's grave marker for hours, too many to count. The sun had long since set by the time there was any movement. Moon high and bright in the sky, illuminating the graveyard in pearlescent light, Mako finally slumped over into her hold. Korra brought up her other arm and caressed his cheek softly, running fingers through his hair. "He's really gone," he uttered in a broken voice, barely audible over the hum of nocturnal insects.

"I know. It's hard to believe, I can't... I'm sorry, Mako. I know it's not much, but I'm here, okay?" She had no idea what to say, and the words hardly felt appropriate, but they were all she had.

It seemed to work though, as he turned his face into her and let out a shuddering sigh. "It's enough," he mumbled, and she could feel wet spots on her shirt. She tightened her hold on him and let her own tears fall, mourning for her friend.


	11. Rebirth

**WARNING: CHARACTER DEATH  
**

* * *

"I love you, Mako," Korra mumbled weakly, the fever taking the last of her strength. It had been a long battle with the illness, and for awhile, they thought she would be fine. A storm had rolled in, though, and even though they did their best not to let the weather in, it always found a way. She caught a chill and relapsed, and now here they were.

He knew what this was, and tried so hard not to believe it. He didn't want to. Tears stinging his eyes, he clasped her hand tightly between his own, looking at her intently. "I love you, too, Korra. You'll be all right. You will. We-."

"Mako," she interrupted him gently, shaking her head. There were tears in her own eyes. She didn't want to die, but she knew was being called. Her time was up, and that was just the way it was. "I'm sorry, Mako. You won't be alone, though, I promise. I'll always be close to you, you'll see."

"Korra, don't...," it was futile, and she smiled sadly up at him. His cheeks were wet and ruddy, his eyes burned with the sting of salt. Forcing a smile, he tried not to be miserable for her last few moments, "All right. I believe you."

She nodded, lightly squeezing his hand, "Mako?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you," she whispered, her arm beginning to go limp, "for everything. I really had a great time. Tell our kids that I'm sorry. I never wanted to leave them, you, like this."

Throat tight, he couldn't even voice a response. He nodded, kissing her knuckles, the only answer he could give her. She didn't say anything more. Time passed by, he didn't really know just how much, and the phone rang. Lifting his head, he looked over at it. Setting down her cooling hand, he got up and grabbed it, clearing his throat before picking it up, "Hello?"

"Hey, bro, great news! Seung just gave birth! I'm a dad! We'll have to bring him over so you and Korra can see him, he's adorable!" At that moment, Bolin got distracted and shouted something, and Mako just felt numb. He wanted to be happy for his brother, and really, deep down, he was. It was difficult to be outwardly happy, though, when so much of what he was feeling was the exact opposite.

Sitting down, he barely listened to the babble of Bolin having a conversation on the side. When Bolin came back, it took saying his brother's name a few times to get Mako's attention. "Oh, yeah, sorry. Congratulations, Bo, I'm happy for you. I don't want to spoil the good mood, though, and right now's not a good time. We'll talk more later, okay?"

"Sure, sure. See you later!"

"Bye."

He hung up the phone and slumped back in the chair, staring across the room at the body of his wife. A thought was forming, and he couldn't quite place it, the idea hanging in a fog somewhere in his brain, and it was a fight to discover it. When he finally did, he hung his head and buried his face in his hands.

It was the timing. Korra's death, the birth of his nephew. Bolin and his wife were both earthbenders. The Avatar cycle. Korra's promise.

How was he going to handle being the Avatar's uncle? How was he going to break the news to his brother?

Heaving a sigh, he tried not to think too hard about it. He would cross that bridge when it came. Right now, he only had suspicions.

But when he met his nephew for the first time, he knew he had been right. Looking into the infant's eyes, he just knew there somewhere deep in there was Korra's spirit, keeping close to her family and watching over them, reborn into this child.


	12. Mist

Camping in the forest had been Korra's idea. It would be fun, she had told him with a wide grin while packing up a few bags. He had been in some stores that catered to the outdoors types, and it didn't look as though she had nearly enough equipment there for a camping trip. As they trudged through the underbrush, Naga at their side, he had no idea if they were even properly prepared for this little excursion of hers. Any attempt to bring it up had been met with adamant reassurance. Somehow, her confidence only managed to reduce his, and he was quite afraid for how the evening would follow.

After hiking for what had felt like forever to him, they finally came to a halt at a cliff-face. When it was they had managed to even find mountains, he wasn't sure. As he thought about it, however, he realized most of the walk had been uphill. Looking over her shoulder, he frowned and looked around, "What's this?"

She glanced back at him with a grin, "A good place to stop for lunch. We're almost at the place I have in mind, but it's still a few hours out, and we need to refuel."

Shaking his head, his shoulders slumped at the prospect of more hiking. He really was the 'City Boy' she had labelled him long ago, and this trek through the wilderness was taking its toll on him. "Somehow, 'almost there' and 'few hours out' seem like total opposites," he mumbled while plopping down on a rock.

Korra just laughed at him and handed him a roll wrapped up in a cloth. Biting into it, he was surprised to find cheese and sausage inside, and ate the rest of it quickly. They shared a drink of water, and she ushered them on. He could have done with more food and rest, but she insisted neither one would be good for them when they still had a few hours travel.

He could hear a constant roar growing louder, and Korra picked up her pace, a grin seeming to be permanently glued to her face now. Finally, they broke the treeline and Naga immediately dropped to the ground and closed her eyes. That seemed to mean that they had arrived, and Korra took off several steps, running forward and then spinning around quickly. "Well, what do you think?"

A massive series of waterfalls spread out before him, and they seemed have come out on a platform mid-height of the western-most fall. The cliff-face curved, and he realized just then that they were in a valley. He wasn't sure just how many falls there were, too awestruck by the scenery to bother to count. Lush greenery covered everything not being constantly sprayed by water, drinking up everything it could from the side, from above, and from below. "Amazing," he mumbled, noting that she was waiting for an actual response, and not just his reaction.

Grinning, she nodded and turned to look back out at it. "Isn't it? I discovered this place on one of my trips, and I knew I had to bring you here as soon as possible. I know hiking in the summer is rough, but this spot is so nice and cool, I figured it would be good."

He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, ignoring the misty spray gradually soaking him. "It is. This place is amazing." He was repeating himself, but he didn't care. She leaned up and kissed him, and he felt the need to show her that he was, in fact, grateful that she had dragged him out on this trip. Dropping his hands to her hips, he yanked her close, and her response was to quietly laugh and press against him. They walked closer to the edge and laid down under cover of the waterfall's mist, thoroughly enjoying the scenery in an entirely different way.


End file.
